


So are you saying yes?

by itsmylifekay



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-06
Updated: 2013-07-06
Packaged: 2017-12-17 20:26:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/871621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsmylifekay/pseuds/itsmylifekay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Basically, Zayn works at London's version of Say Yes to the Dress and has a bit of a celebrity crush. Liam is one of the best runners in the world but can't seem to escape his attraction to a boy he saw on TV. Louis of course has to meddle and Harry is along for the ride. Liam's sisters are just trying to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	So are you saying yes?

**Author's Note:**

> So long story short, I was watching way too much Say Yes to the Dress (if that's even possible) and then this sort of happened. My first Ziam fic so I hope it's decent and everything. Any mistakes are my own and I don't own the show or the boys~

 

Zayn was good at what he did, really good, in fact. Which is why he wasn’t surprised when his boss pulled him aside one Friday evening after closing and told him he had a special assignment for him. The fact that someone famous was choosing their salon wasn’t much of a shock (after all, it was the biggest bridal salon in London) and Zayn had been asked to stand in on such important appointments before. But what he wasn’t expecting was for his boss to lean in even closer and whisper in his ear, giddy excitement and curiosity lacing her tone.

“They asked for you, Zayn. Only you. This is _your_ appointment.”

To say he had been stunned would be an understatement. He had barely managed to force out an ‘excuse me?’, turning to study his boss’s face, looking for any sign of a joke. He had found nothing.

So here he was standing in the centre of the salon on a Saturday morning, the entire place empty save for him and the eerie silence that enveloped the show room, which made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He was used to the sounds of laughter, relieved tears, encouragement, even the occasional cat fight. The silence now seemed louder than all of those combined.

And it was all because of _him._ Liam Payne.

He swallowed thickly just thinking about it, knowing that the man who had won a gold medal in the last Olympics was about to stride through that door, knowing that the boy he had cheered for that gloomy day of qualifying was about to be right in front of him, he still couldn’t quite wrap his head around it. Hell, he had dreamed of a day when they would so much as pass on the street, giving him the opportunity to admire those large brown eyes and rosy lips in real life and not just through a screen. And now he felt a bit of a creep, having spent wistful evenings staring at the television, watching as Liam ran for their country and feeling admiration for more than just his skill.

And all of that beauty was about to be right in front of him, for hours. Not to mention entirely out of reach. Because Liam was coming to a _bridal salon_ , which meant he was getting married to some girl who Zayn would have to smile at and call beautiful when he knew the only thing racing through his mind would be jealously. Which was wrong. He tried to tell his boss as much, searching for any possible way to politely decline and escape the situation. But there had been no way out. This was the type of publicity the store needed and calling to cancel the appointment would look terrible for the salon so he had no choice but to grin and bear it.

There was a small jingle as the front door swung open and Zayn’s head immediately snapped up, tearing him away from his spiralling thoughts, eyes going straight to the small group of people now huddling through the door. There were two girls and three boys, a mix that Zayn hadn’t been expecting but shrugged off nonetheless. It wasn’t his business who the bride chose to bring, even if it did have him raising an eyebrow. The door swung shut again and he quickly adjusted his black button down, tugging at his sleeves a bit (because even if his boss gave him a lot of free reign, she still requested that he cover his arms on the job. Something about making him look more trustworthy to the girls he was helping) and itching for a cigarette. Because fuck if Liam Payne wasn’t standing in the same room.

With his bride-to-be. Right. Because he was just their dress consultant. Time to stop stalling.

If he had been any other consultant, he would have immediately smiled and scurried forward, offering to take their coats, get drinks, whatever they wanted. But he was Zayn and that’s not how he operated and since they had requested him, well, he didn’t see any point in putting on a show since they somehow knew about him already and would hopefully be expecting his less than conventional ways.

So instead he strode forward and stopped still a good few feet away, clearing his throat to gain their attention before gesturing to a side hall. “You can hang your coats up over there if you’d like, and then we can start with the appointment.”

There was a general rustling of fabric and Zayn made sure to keep his eyes firmly trained on the two girls in front of him, trying to figure out which one would be the focus of the day, definitely not because he was avoiding looking at the groom. Because that would be unprofessional.

“I’ll take them guys, you go ahead and get started.”

Zayn froze, shoulders going stiff at the sound of his voice, better than anything he had imagined. Thankfully, one of the girls spoke, saving him from caving to temptation and keeping his attention focused where it should be.

“Thank you, Liam.”

Or not.

Zayn groaned internally as she walked over to Liam and gave him a hug, pulling back and pecking his cheek lightly before laying her coat in his arms. Liam’s eyes crinkled up adorably in response and Zayn was pretty positive that his heart had just stopped at the sight. This was going to be impossible.

“Yes, _thank you_ , Liam. You’re such a doll.” A man dressed in what looked like painfully-tight pants snickered and tilted his head to the side, fluttering his eyelashes in a gesture that contrasted sharply with his pushed up hair and the light dusting of stubble along his cheeks. He dumped his jacket in Liam’s waiting arms and immediately turned to begin surveying the room. There was a fire in his eyes that immediately told Zayn that he was one to watch out for, and would likely cause the most havoc during the appointment.

He cleared his throat again, regaining everyone’s attention, watching Liam’s retreating back from the corner of his eye before address the remaining four. “Alright, well my name’s Zayn and I’ll be helping you today. Now, who’s the bride?”

“I am.” The shorter of the two girls stepped forward, hand slightly raised, and she blushed a bit before pushing some hair behind her ear. “I’m getting married.” She murmured softly, almost as if unable to believe she was saying it (and Zayn was used to that, couldn’t help but smile softly in return) but then she flushed brighter red and quickly added, “My name is Ruth, by the way.”

Zayn shook her hand gently before looking around at the other members of the party. “And who did you bring with you today?”

Ruth quickly cleared her throat, easily regaining her confidence as she pointed first to the girl beside her. “This is my older sister, Nicola. And the two guys behind me are Louis and Harry. The one who left with our coats is Liam, my brother.”

Zayn felt the world grind to a halt and had to quickly catch himself from blurting out something stupid. But, really, Liam was her _brother?_ So that meant he wasn’t getting married. He was just here, in the store, completely available and within reach. And really, it made sense, Liam had always said he was single and there had been no word of a girlfriend being in the picture, let alone a fiancée, but Zayn had figured it was a privacy thing (against creeps like himself) that the news hadn’t been let out but now, now everything was different. Well, not really, since Zayn was pretty sure Liam was straight, judging by his past girlfriends and Zayn’s terrible luck with anything related to love. And he was stalling again.

Shaking his head minutely, Zayn pushed those thoughts away, focusing on the girl in front of him and the job he had, appraising her body type while asking her the usual questions of what she was looking for, what visions she had, and what the wedding would be like. Once she had finished answering, he nodded and hummed softly to himself, about to offer her a chance to look over the racks when a voice cut in.

“Now I know you’re the consultant and it’s your job to help her pick a dress, so don’t get your man-panties all in a twist when I say this but, I really think that she needs to at least _try_ a mermaid gown on before she writes them off completely and Ruth, really, a little sparkle won’t kill you and since your brother is paying and he’s loaded, why not have a little fun? And that being said, make sure you look at the big name brands and don’t be afraid to ask for alterations and-”

Already feeling his head start to throb, Zayn put a comforting hand on the bride’s shoulder and cut Louis off. “How about I let you all look around the show room, pick out a few dresses you like, and we can go from there?”

Louis glared at him just a bit, obviously affronted at having been interrupted, but got over it just about as quickly, offering Zayn a smile before striding off to inspect the closest racks of dresses, grabbing Harry’s hand and towing him along. Ruth noticeably exhaled beside him, looking up and mouthing a silent thank you before grabbing Nicola and heading off to start looking themselves. Which meant everyone was busy and happy, except for Liam who still hadn’t come back. Zayn frowned, wondering if he had somehow gotten lost or had just decided to wander off into the store.

Glancing back to make sure the other four were occupied, Zayn slipped out of the main show room, ducking into the same back hall he had directed Liam to earlier. He passed the rack where Liam had hung up all of their coats and bit his lip, drawing it between his teeth and nibbling on it in a nervous habit as he continued on his search, peering in doorways until he made it to the back of the store. He sucked in a small breath as he turned the last corner, nearly falling over as he suddenly collided with something solid and…warm?

“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry. I figured I’d look around a bit and give the girls some time to settle in but I realized I’d been gone longer than I should’ve been and I really should’ve paid more attention but…are you okay?”

Zayn blinked once, twice, three times, before finally clearing his throat and chancing an answer. “Yeah, I’m fine, just a bit surprised.” _And dizzy, considering your freaking arms are still holding on and your chest has to be about a thousand degrees right now and your gorgeous face is way too close and you just really had to torture me didn’t you?_ He took in another shaky breath. “Wasn’t expecting there to be anything around the corner.”

Liam smiled ruefully. “Yeah, you know this store like the back of your hand, could probably walk it blind folded if you had to, of course you weren’t expecting me to be there. I tend to get in the way a lot, which is why I wandered back here to begin with, guess it didn’t work though.” He laughed nervously, finally dropping his arms back down to his sides and leaving Zayn uncomfortably cold, taking a step back before rubbing at the back of his neck, drawing Zayn’s eyes to the birthmark on his throat as he swallowed. “I should-I should probably get back to my sisters.”

Zayn nodded mutely, not quite sure of what had just happened, and turned to lead the way back to the main floor. The entire walk back he could feel Liam behind him, the heat of his body radiating into Zayn like the sun and making him want to reach out, pull him closer and bury himself in Liam’s arms. He dug his teeth into his bottom lip with each step in order to restrain himself and bolted to the bride’s side as soon as they had reached the show room.

“If you’ve found a few things you like, I’ll take you back and we can try them on.” _And escape, escape, escape, because holy fuck your brother is hot and why would you bring him to something like this._ “The rest of you can wait out here, and we’ll be back once the first dress is on.”

He quickly collected all of the dresses they had pulled and led Ruth back to a dressing room, hanging each gown up on a rack while he waited for her to change out of her street clothes and into the loose robe they gave to each bride to use during the process. “So,” he began. “is there something you’d like to try on first?”

When he was met with only silence, Zayn stopped what he was doing and turned around, brows immediately furrowing in the middle. “Ruth?”

“I-I’m sorry, it’s just…” She let out a sigh, arms crossing defensively across her chest. “I honestly don’t know what to do.”

Zayn’s brow crinkled even further but before he could get a word out, Ruth flopped down in a chair and levelled him with a loaded gaze.

“Zayn, can I be honest with you? Because I really don’t like dancing around an issue if I can help it.”

Nodding slowly, Zayn sank down in the chair opposite her and ran a hand through his carefully sculpted quiff, pulling at the strands. “Alright, go ahead.”

“Well, you see, um, this day is...well it’s very special to my family, or what’s left of it.” She wiped a bit under her eyes and Zayn immediately felt himself grow cold because _of course_ , why hadn’t he realized before? “My parents passed away just this year, in a car crash, and well, it’s been hard on all of us. This is really the first important thing we’ve had to do without them and I know it’s difficult, Liam almost started crying when I asked him if he’d walk me down the aisle in place of daddy.” Ruth took the tissue Zayn wordlessly handed to her and delicately blew her nose, offering him a small smile before continuing. “And well, I just really want this to go perfectly, so that we can move on and everything.”

Suddenly, everything began making sense in Zayn’s mind. He had read about the accident, and tried to avoid that news out of respect (because even if he was interested, he knew it was wrong and private and none of his business) but it had been hard to ignore the headlines about Liam taking a break from competition, and then dropping practice as well. And judging by the worried look in Ruth’s eyes, there was more to it than just his sudden lack of interest in athletics. He leaned forward slightly, elbows balanced on his knees. “And by we you mean...?”

Ruth exhaled shakily. “Mostly Liam, I guess. He needs to see that Nicola and I are happy, that we’re fine. He needs to get back to living his life and doing what he loves, and no matter how hard we kick his ass he won’t leave until he feels like we’re taken care of it.” She laughed a bit and shook her head. “The over protective dolt.”

“Well,” Zayn cleared his throat, shifting a bit. “I’ll certainly do my best.”

“Oh, I’m sure you will. You always do, after all.” She gave him a real smile, one that met her eyes then giggled nervously. “You see, we’re kind of big fans of the store’s show. We’ve watched every episode at least once and the ones with you probably about a hundred times. I hope that’s not weird?”

Zayn’s mouth fell open a bit but he quickly snapped it shut, shaking his head and standing up to hide the blush that had swept across his cheeks. “No, um, not weird, just surprising is all. Explains why you requested me though...”

There was a noticeable beat of silence before Ruth quickly stammered out. “Oh yes, yes, of course, that’s why. We’re just such huge fans. But uh, besides the family drama, I really don’t know what exactly I want in my dress so I’m giving you as much creative freedom as you want so long as you think you can handle Louis.”

Zayn couldn’t help but smirk. “He does seem quite the handful, friend of yours?”

“Of Liam’s, actually, but he kind of grows on you after awhile.”

Zayn hummed in the back of his throat at that, flicking through the row of gowns before pulling out a fitted mermaid with a beaded, sparkly lace bodice and satin flare bottom accented with little flowers and a bit of sequence that just screamed eccentric in a way only Louis could’ve picked. “Well then, let’s go ahead and appease him first.”

~**~

An hour into the appointment and Zayn already thought he was going to die. Louis’s pick had been shot down immediately, Ruth pointing to the over the top decorations and wondering aloud whether a sewing shop had exploded on top of her (and really, Zayn couldn’t help but agree. He had always been one for the more classic look that showcased the bride rather than the dress) and after seeing herself in Harry’s pick, Ruth had simply broken down in laughter, still drying her eyes and stifling little hiccups as she walked onto the runway to show off what she had duly named “the beast” with its layers of tulle and organza that made the skirt big enough to fit a small village underneath. Nicola’s pick had been better, a simple lace gown with off the shoulder sleeves but Ruth had turned it down as well, saying it was a bit too vintage for her tastes.

Liam hadn’t even chosen a dress.

In fact, Liam hadn’t really even _commented_ on a dress. He just sat on the couch between a very vocal Louis and a thoughtful Nicola with this dusting of pink across his cheeks that made Zayn want to straddle him and see what the rest of his body would look like all flushed and pretty. And then Liam would bite his lip and his eyes would kind of flicker up and glance at Zayn from beneath his lashes, dark and unreadable from across the room and Zayn would have to bite down on his own lips to stop the noises threatening to escape his throat. Because really, who _was_ this man?

And the longer it took Ruth to find a dress, the more Zayn found himself under Liam’s gaze, until eventually he pulled Ruth and himself back into the dressing room with a mumbled explanation of how he was going to go look in the back store room to see what he could find but really he was wondering if it would be entirely inappropriate to get a quick wank in to calm his nerves (because maybe if he was less sexually frustrated he would actually be able to think straight and get this appointment moving in a more positive direction). Ruth had only seemed excited though, clapping her hands together and wishing Zayn luck, telling him to choose whatever he thought was best because she trusted his opinion, as if Zayn had done something to deserve that. Because really he was just some guy who happened to think her brother was fit as fuck and couldn’t even keep his head on straight.

Practically running into the store room, Zayn shut the door behind him, pressing his back to the wood before sliding down a bit and trying to take deep breaths. Because everything would be fine. Just fine. He’d find a dress for Ruth, make her happy, give Liam the confidence he needed to get on with life, and then go back to watching from afar as it was meant to be. And he had to be fast, because he didn’t think his heart could take much more of Liam’s presence, or his eyes, or the soft brown hair he had let grow out since his hiatus that Zayn just wanted to run his fingers through. No, he definitely couldn’t take much more.

Scouring the racks for a dress that would make Ruth happy while at the same time appeasing her entourage, Zayn moved towards the area that held the more form fitting but not skin-tight dresses, an idea already forming in his head. He had had a vision in mind from the beginning but had wanted to give the bride and her family and friends time to go through their picks before pulling a dress of his own. But now the bride had put her trust in him and he was determined not to let her down.

His fingers flicked expertly through the rows of gowns, grazing over each one before finally landing on the prize and wrapping around the hanger, pulling it free and throwing it over his shoulder as he hurried towards the door. Just a bit longer, he chanted under his breath. So long as Ruth loved the dress, said yes...then they would be on their way and Zayn would be left to be tormented only in his dreams.

Already moving quickly down the hall, Zayn picked up the pace even more when he remembered the bride he had left stranded in the dressing room, still clipped into a rather constricting corset dress (another of Louis’s picks), and mentally slapped himself for being so unprofessional. He rounded the corner and was about to reach for the handle when he realized the door was already open, the entire group huddled inside the tiny room.

“Liam, you’re my brother and I love you but could you really have your head any farther up your arse?”

“I don’t know what you’re-”

“Oh shut your lying mouth, Payne, you know damn well what we’re talking about. I’m surprised there’s not a puddle of drool around where you were sitting, the way you’ve been ogling him. Now why don’t you man up and do something about it?”

There was a moment of silence, a bit of rustling, and then Liam was clearing his throat. “Like what? What am I supposed to do?”

“Is that even a question?” Louis scoffed. “Just slam him up against the wall and kiss him like you’ve wanted for years, unleash all of those pent-up sexual fantasies you’ve been having.”

Liam spluttered for a moment. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about, I haven’t...”

“Please Liam, I’ve slept in the same room as you before.” He pitched his voice a little lower, adding a bit of breathiness to his tone. “Zayn, Zayn, you feel so good, _Zayn._ ”

There was a moment of stunned silence and Zayn could feel his mind whirling, trying to process what he was hearing. Liam...wanted him? But how? There was no way he had watched that dumb show the store put on, that he had seen him and thought he was special. Because he was Zayn, just Zayn, and someone like Liam could do so much better.

He was pulled from his thoughts as a more delicate voice chimed in. “Well, all of that aside, I think you should at least try to talk to him, Liam. You’ve watched that show religiously for as long as it’s been airing and if I have to hear you sigh and go on about how ‘Zayn is so perfect, he always knows just what they need and isn’t he amazing how he handled that situation, he’s so understanding, and did you see the way he defended that bride against her mother? I bet he’d been an amazing boyfriend’ one more time, I might scream.”

“But,” Liam’s voice was very soft now, Zayn had to strain to even hear it. “He hasn’t spoken to me at all since we bumped into each other this morning.”

“That’s because he’s been doing his job trying to help me find a dress, which is what you’re supposed to be doing too. And I think this appointment could’ve been over a long time ago if one of you would just man up and do something about the obvious _thing_ going on.”

“Thing? What thing? We don’t even know for sure if he’s gay.” Liam stammered, obviously trying to save any scraps of dignity he had left.

“He works in a bridal store and dresses like a model.” Louis deadpanned. “And if that doesn’t do it for you, I’m pretty sure the way he’s been slowly suffering because of your sex-eyes is proof enough. Now stop torturing the poor guy and actually _do_ something.”

At that, Zayn had to blush. Had he really been so obvious? He’d have to offer them a refund or something for giving them such a terrible appointment, because no bride deserved to be ignored on such an important day, no matter how amazing their brother was...or how much of a “thing” they apparently had going on between them. But there was no way, no possible way, that it could be real. Because things like Liam didn’t happen to people like him. He took a shaky step back, lowering his head. As soon as Liam got to know him, he’d leave, any image he had built up in his head would be shattered and he’d only be disappointed and then Zayn would be left alone, again, and he just couldn’t handle that.  He would just have to leave, that was the only way.

He made to take another step back but suddenly the door was swinging the rest of the way open, five sets of eyes immediately trained on him. He wanted to be sick. His fingers clenched and he ducked his head, preparing to run, when suddenly a hand wrapped around his upper arm.

“Well,” Louis drawled. “This worked out well. Now you two don’t have to pussy foot around each other anymore. Zayn, Liam wants to fuck you. Liam, judging by the look on Zayn’s face, I’d say he wants to be fucked. Now that that’s out of the way, we’ll just leave you to it.”

Suddenly, he was pushed forward, stumbling into the small room, completely out of sorts while everyone else filed hurriedly past him. He turned just in time to see Louis smirk. “Take all the time you need, loves.” And then the door slammed shut.

So there he was, locked in a dressing room, with Liam Payne. Who apparently wanted to fuck him. Maybe.

What the hell was his life?

Letting out a shaky breath, Zayn walked over to the rack nailed to the wall, hanging up the dress he had pulled and keeping his back towards Liam, knowing that as soon as he turned around and met those eyes his resolve would break.

“I’m sorry about all of this. I’ll talk to Louis, make him let us out...” Liam let out a small groan, burying his head in his hands. “I really am sorry, I didn’t mean for this to happen. You weren’t supposed to find out. You weren’t even supposed to _be_ here.”

“What do you mean I wasn’t supposed to be here? I _work_ here.” Zayn crossed his arms, still staring at the wall. Because damn it, here it was, Liam didn’t even want to be in the same store as him.

“I _know_ you work here, I just, I knew that if you were the one working with my sister I wouldn’t be able to concentrate and I was right and now I feel horrible because I’ve spent this whole appointment staring at you instead of the dresses my sister might be getting married in and I’m supposed to be _there_ for her but I haven’t been. And I _told_ her this would happen and she promised she’d make sure it worked out but then we came this morning and you were the only one here and I panicked. So I’m sorry. This whole mess is my fault.”

//\\\//\\\//\\\

Liam felt horrible, no, worse than that, he felt _detestable._ Not only had he single-handedly managed to ruin his sister’s appointment (for her _wedding dress_ nonetheless) he had now completely freaked out the boy he had been pining after for years. But when they had entered the salon and he had lifted his head, eyes drawn to the man standing in the middle of the room, he had felt his breath pull away. Because Zayn had looked even more stunning in real life than he did over the TV, and Liam was completely unprepared.

He was wearing the black dress shirt and slacks he always wore for work (Liam knew this because he had never seen Zayn wear anything else, even though he had certainly imagined him in other things...or less things...or nothing) but he still looked absolutely gorgeous. He was all confidence and flawless complexion, high cheek bones and hazel eyes that seemed to constantly shift in a kaleidoscope of colour. He was long and lean in contrast to his own bulkier structure and Liam couldn’t help but wonder how they would fit together. How they would look. His sisters say they would be perfect, but Liam just thinks Zayn’s perfect.

It had all started simply enough, flipping through channels late one evening in the hotel room after a competition, landing on one of those home networks that he would normally breeze past. But right as his finger had pressed the button for the next channel over, he had seen him. Zayn. Zayn who was perfect caramel skin, thick dark hair and pink lips that curled up and revealed white teeth when he smiled. His mind didn’t even register the new image on screen, some commercial that he pushed away, scrambling to hit the back button so that he wouldn’t miss another moment of the beautiful boy, because that’s what he was, utterly and breathtakingly beautiful. And when the show ended, Liam was immediately on the computer, watching every episode of the show offered online and looking up the airing schedule, typing it into his phone so he wouldn’t miss a single one. And with each episode he watched, no matter how beautiful the women who walked by or even how handsome the men, Liam only had eyes for Zayn. Zayn whose laugh made Liam’s stomach flip, whose poise made him unable to look away, and whose character made him unable to forget each moment captured on film and shared. He was well and truly hooked.

When his parents had died on a Thursday evening, it was the first show he had ever missed but he had watched it the next day on his phone, seated on a plan headed home. And Tuesday evening after the funeral, he had hunkered down on his parents’ old couch and flipped on the TV, staring blankly at the screen as other consultants and brides buzzed past, only feeling the tension wash away when Zayn’s face appeared, welcoming a new client in a way that only he could do. Zayn had a bit of an attitude, a kind of don’t-fuck-with-me aura around him that made dealing with even the most difficult of situations seem to come easy, but he also had a heart made out of gold that anyone could see when he comforted a bride in need, or took extra time to help an ailing mother into the back storeroom so she could pick out her daughter’s dress.

A few shows later and Ruth had walked by, glancing at the screen and stopping, giving Liam a look that he pointedly ignored before sitting down next to him through the rest of the show. The next time, Nicola joined them as well. Before long, it was something of a family tradition and both of his sister’s were quick to catch on to his attachment to one consultant in particular and would always make sure to stay quiet when Zayn was on screen, stopping their conversation to watch the way Liam’s face would light up and how his eyes would crinkle in one of his now increasingly elusive smiles, sharing knowing glances behind his back.

And then the day had come when Ruth had sat him down at the table and told him that she had called the bridal salon Zayn worked at, requested an appointment, and that she wanted him to come with her, as the one who would be giving her away on that special day. So many emotions had crashed over him at once but in the end he was left mostly with joy, a tinge of sadness, but also a bit of fear. Which is precisely why he had asked for her to make sure Zayn wouldn’t be there, childish as it was, because he wanted that day to be about her, didn’t want to ruin her time with his only petty crush.

But now that fear had come to life, and was standing a mere foot away in the form of a hunched back and crossed arms, Zayn’s face shadowed in a way that made him want to reach out and pull him forward into the light so that he could trace every one of his features with his eyes, burn them into his memory so that he would never forget. But he had already ruined everything. He let out a sigh, eyes boring into the floor instead.

“You’re wrong.” Zayn’s voice sounded from above him, closer this time, and Liam looked up just in time to see Zayn duck his head again, refusing to meet his eyes.

“What?” How could he possibly be wrong? The position they were in now was proof that he (with help from Louis, the bastard) had thoroughly mucked up his sister’s appointment and any chance he could’ve had to get in Zayn’s good gracious (not like he ever had a chance to begin with).

Zayn turned towards him a bit, but his eyes stayed trained on a point just above Liam’s right shoulder. “I was requested, specifically. An appointment like this would usually have one of the main fashion consultants in charge with three or four minor consultants like me helping out with whatever else needed to be done, but it was requested that I be the consultant, the _only_ consultant, for this appointment. So you’re wrong, this isn’t your fault at all, because your sister knew exactly what she was doing when she requested me.”

Liam’s eyes grew impossibly wide. “They _requested_ you?” Zayn nodded mutely and Liam groaned. “Why can’t they ever mind their own business?”

“Well, judging from what I’ve seen, I don’t think it’s physically _possible_ for Louis to mind his own business, and I’m sure your sisters just had your best interest at heart. I think Harry was just along for the ride...I don’t even know why he’s here anyway, I’m pretty sure he’s slept on Louis’s shoulder for the majority of the time.”

Liam loosened up a bit at Zayn’s comments, realizing he was only making the situation worse by being so on edge. “Yeah, Louis and Harry are kind of a package deal, where one goes the other follows. That’s just how they are.” He let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. “I’m sure they just wanted me to be happy, so I suppose I have to forgive them, no matter how daft they were going about it.”

Zayn chuckled softly and Liam felt his heart tighten at the sound. “Yeah, I suppose so mate. Now let’s get out of here and clear up this whole misunderstanding.”

At that, Liam felt himself freeze. “Misunderstanding?” He questioned.

Zayn had turned back towards the door, voice sounding a bit tight and constricted again, as if he was holding something back. “Yeah, you better go tell them that you aren’t secretly pining after me so that they won’t lock us in anymore dressing rooms together.” He let out a forced laugh and Liam rose to his feet, feeling a cold grip squeezing at his insides.

If Liam was reading this right, then Zayn seemed upset, legitimately _upset_ to call his attraction a misunderstanding. Well, Liam was pretty upset about it too, and to hell with everything if he couldn’t take this one moment to finally do something about it. So, kicking himself in the arse in a way Louis would most certainly be proud of, Liam took a hesitant step forward, and then another with more confidence.

He watched Zayn’s shoulders tense as he came up behind him and tried to move as carefully as he could as he positioned an arm on either side of Zayn’s head, boxing him in against the door. He swallowed thickly, and pressed his nose to the soft skin just beneath Zayn’s ear. “But that would be a lie...and I don’t like lying.” He felt Zayn’s pulse speed up beneath his lips.

“Wh-What?”

“You heard me,” he murmured. “It would be a lie to say that I’ve not been pining after you because I have been, for a long time actually. I would really like to get to know you, Zayn.” And there it was, everything out in the open. A weight lifted off of his shoulders and settled in his stomach instead, twisting around as he waited for Zayn’s response.

He felt Zayn swallow and pulled back a bit to let him turn around in his arms, hazel eyes met his own and he had to suck in a breath to keep himself from looking away. He finally managed to whisper, “I’d really love to take you out on a date, Zayn. If you don’t think I’m too much of a creeper that is.”

Zayn bit his lip, chewing on it for a moment in a way that was driving Liam truly insane, before offering up a small smile. “Well, I think calling you a creep would be a bit hypocritical of me considering how I’ve been following every one of your news stories since even before the Olympics.”

Now it was Liam’s turn to stammer in disbelief. “Wh-What?”

A blush coloured Zayn’s cheeks and he ducked down to stare at Liam’s collarbones (and really, how was it possible for anyone to be that cute?). “I went to qualifying that year and saw you there...I couldn’t believe how fit you were and how nice you were to everybody around you and then when you smiled and did that dorky little dance after you made it in...”

Liam groaned, “You saw that?”

“Of course I did,” Zayn laughed. “It was adorable.”

Liam stuck out his lower lip, pouting as Zayn continued to chuckle. “Well it couldn’t have been as adorable as the time you let one of the brides put a veil and tiara on you. I just about died that day you know, you looked so cute.” This time he was the one laughing as Zayn blanched, punching his chest lightly as a blush burned across his cheeks. He hadn’t been lying though, seeing Zayn obscured by a thin layer of white had done things to his mind that he still didn’t quite comprehend.

“No way! They put that on air!?”

“Well of course, something that adorable was meant to be shared with the entire world.”

“That wasn’t adorable, it was embarrassing and I probably looked like a complete idiot.” He covered his face with his hands. “Fuck,” he groaned. “I’m going to kill them.”

Feeling confident (and strangely comfortable, considering he’d only really known Zayn for all of five minutes), Liam wrapped his fingers around both of Zayn’s wrists and pulled his hands back against the wall, pinning him there before stepping forward and pressing their chests together. He felt Zayn’s breath stutter against his cheek before stopping completely, entire body freezing up as Liam pressed his lips to Zayn’s ear. “You were _adorable,_ Zayn. As soon as I saw you, I wanted to rip you apart until you were screaming my name. You don’t know how jealous it made me, thinking about how so many people were seeing you like that, even though I had no right to feel that way.”

And did he really just say that out loud? Liam didn’t know where this sudden surge of confidence had come from but he hoped it stayed, especially with the way Zayn’s hips were now pushing against his, making Liam’s head swim in a way that must’ve been entirely illegal.

Zayn shivered against him, head tilting back against the wall as Liam began kissing down his neck. “W-Well, imagine how I felt, having to watch you run all shirtless and sweaty and gorgeous in front of the entire world. Every time I saw a girl screaming your name I wanted to punch her in the face then grab you and mark you so that everybody knew you were mine.”

Liam hummed against the junction between Zayn’s neck and shoulder, pushing at the fabric so he could reach the skin there, turned on by Zayn’s admission and needing to touch more of him, needing to feel him hot against his fingers to know that this was real. “Oh really?” He murmured, feeling heat pooling in his stomach. “And how did you plan on doing that?”

“Well,” Zayn laughed breathlessly. “I’m a bit of a biter and I figured my teeth marks in your skin would be enough of a statement.”

“Zayn,” Liam breathed, tracing back up his throat before cradling both of Zayn’s wrists in one hand, tracing a thumb over Zayn’s lips with the other. Zayn’s tongue flicked against the pad of his thumb and Liam pressed the digit past Zayn’s lips, ducking down to press open-mouthed kisses along Zayn’s jaw as Zayn growled past his hand and bit lightly into his skin.

He pulled his hand away so he could pull at Zayn’s shirt, un-tucking the fabric so he could slip a hand underneath and rub at the smooth skin above Zayn’s hip. His teeth nipped at Zayn’s Adam’s apple and Zayn bucked lightly against him, breathing heavily before letting out a strained hiss. “Liam, please.” Zayn pushed against the hold on his wrists but didn’t actually try to break free, merely trying to arch himself closer to Liam’s touch. Their eyes met and Liam couldn’t help the moan that left his mouth, everything going a bit fuzzy around the edges as he leaned forward and pressed their lips together, wincing at the first bite to his lower lip but groaning into the sensation as Zayn’s tongue smoothed over the reddened area. And how had he ever lived without this before?

Once they were both thoroughly out of breath, Liam pulled away reluctantly, leaving Zayn panting against the wall. He placed a quick, chaste kiss to Zayn’s still open mouth, then to the spot just beneath Zayn’s ear which he had decided was his. “So,” he hummed, thumb pressing smooth arcs into Zayn’s skin. “You never did answer my question.”

He could almost see the gears whirring in Zayn’s head as he tried to work past the fog and remember what question Liam was referring to, and he knew the exact moment when it clicked together, Zayn blushing a bit before rolling his eyes. “Of course I say yes, you idiot.”

Liam immediately broke into a smile, eyes disappearing beneath layers of crinkles as Zayn laughed against him, tongue pressing up against the back of his teeth until Liam silenced him with another kiss, bumping them back up against the door and forcing a moan from both of their throats.

A sudden bang just to the right of their heads startled them both, and suddenly Louis’s voice was in their ears. “So I take it you two have worked it out then?”

“Of course they worked it out, you dolt, why else would they be in there banging around and moaning?”

Liam froze, absolutely horrified of what had just come out of his sister’s mouth. His _sister._ But then Zayn was giggling against him in a way that made his eyes cross, and his entire heart nearly flew out of his chest when Zayn whispered in his ear. “I really like you, Liam Payne.”

//\\\//\\\//\\\

“ _Anyway,_ when we finally got these two out of that damn dressing room, Ruth’s dress was still there on the hanger and we managed to pry them apart for long enough that Zayn could get her into it-”

“And it was absolutely perfect, everything I’d wanted. A beautiful sweetheart neckline with a beaded belt and a gorgeous train-”

“Yes, yes, Zayn is amazing at what he does. But this is about _their_ wedding, Ruth dearest, and neither of them is wearing a dress so let’s get back to the story and how Liam wouldn’t stop smiling like an idiot the entire car ride home and how every time Zayn sent him a text he would light up like Christmas tree and then that first date how he called me and had me come over just so I could help him go through his entire closet just to find the _perfect_ outfit-”

“Yes, Louis, thank you, that’s quite enou-”

“Quiet, Payne, I’m not finished yet and as the best man it’s my _job_ to give everyone the embarrassing back story to this fairy-tale romance. But for your sake I suppose I could skip forward a bit to your first reappearance on the track and how the newspapers were positively buzzing because Liam Payne, Britain’s innocent little jewel, had come out to do his qualifying with hickeys plastered all over his chest like some kind of porn star.”

“Harry, can you please control your husband before I have to strangle him?”

“I don’t think that would be appropriate for the children.”

“What do you m-”

“Liam, babe, just let it go.”

“What, but I don’t g-”

“Excuse me! Would you people kindly shut it so that I can finish? Now as I was saying, Zayn obviously corrupted our sweet little Liam, and for that I am extremely proud. But Liam also influenced Zayn with all of his disgusting romantic crap, and if I have to watch them make heart eyes and coo at each other one more time I might just start barfing up rainbows and butterflies. If I had known I was about to unleash such a terror upon the world, I would never have locked them in that closet together to begin with. Well, no, I think it would’ve happened anyway because that much cuteness just can’t be contained and the universe definitely would’ve aligned to lock them in a closet somehow. At least it wasn’t a real closet, just a dressing room. What if it had been a janitor’s closet? Or a bathroom stall? You two should really get down on your knees and thank me for doing you such a service. But I suppose you only do that for each other now, what with the whole marriage thing and all.”

“Alright, Louis, you’re never allowed to drink champagne again. And move one step closer to my husband and I’ll rip your dick off.”

“Liam! Did you hear what he said to me! You can’t marry such a violent person!”

“Too late, Lou, already did. But who gave you champagne in the first place?”

“Sorry, that was me. I didn’t think he’d be so bad though...”

“Nicola...really?”

“I’m sorry! Jeez...”

“Oh look, he passed out. Awesome. Harry, make sure he doesn’t drown in his own vomit or something disgusting like that. Ruth, Nicola, I’ll be stealing your brother now.”

“Alright, have fun you two. And Liam, don’t be too rough on him, we _would_ like to see him before we head back home tomorrow and I’m not setting foot in that flat until it’s been properly fumigated after tonight.”

“Ruth! Holy shit, I’m your brother.”

“So? Good luck, Zayn!”

“Thanks...I think. But Liam, should I be worried?”

“Um, no? I packed a lot of lube...and some ibuprofen...I’ll just carry you around tomorrow if I have to.”

“Fuck, Liam, what the hell?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t want it.”

“...shut up.”

“Mhm, that’s what I thought.”

“I hate you.”

“I love you.”

“...love you too. Carry me now?”

“It would be my pleasure.”


End file.
